Joan Ryan, who became the eighth MP to quit the Labour Party over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, has said the party had become "infected" with anti-Semitism.
"He (Corbyn) has introduced or allowed to happen in our party this scourge of anti-Semitism," she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
"It has completely infected the party and at every opportunity to deal with it he has not done so.
"We have had a whitewash report, we have had unprecedented actions of Jewish people feeling they have to demonstrate against the Labour Party in Parliament Square.
"We have had endless calls on him to deal with the most virulent, vile anti-Semitism - bullying, abuse and aggression - and he has turned away from doing that."
Ryan said the problems of anti-Semitism in Labour only began when Corbyn became leader.
"We never had this problem in the party before he was the leader. It comes with him, it is part of his politics I am afraid," she said.
"Labour should be the bulwark against that - against the hard right and their views. Instead of that, inside Labour it is perpetuating anti-Semitism."
Ryan said she was also unhappy with Corbyn's position on Brexit.
"The other huge problem is that I think Jeremy Corbyn is aiding and abetting a hard Brexit," she said.
She said there was a "large number" of Labour MPs who were unhappy with the leadership and that she hoped like-minded members from any party would consider joining the new Independent Group.
"I hope that all like-minded MPs from whatever party will want to join this group. It is early days. It is about trying to change the political weather," she said.
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